Hose reel rewind speed control

ABSTRACT

The invention is a centrifugal brake device which is a speed control means for spring motor hose and cable reels, This brake device is mounted to a shaft of a hub associated with the reel such that the device controls the reel rotation speed.

This invention relates to a latching mechanism and to a reeling device.

The reeling devices in accordance with this invention can be used to reel anything desired but most application will be found in reeling hoses or electrical cable or flex.

The present invention provides in one aspect a reeling device including a reel for holding, paying out and winding in a linearly extendable, flexible member, means for biasing said reel in a direction of rotation for winding in said member and a latching mechanism adapted to prevent winding in of said member; the latching mechanism including a member rotatable with the reel and movable under centrifugal force between a non-latching and latching position in consequence of the rate of rotation of the reel exceeding a predetermined magnitude.

The latching mechanism preferably includes said member which is attached to the reel and a stationary latch attached to a frame or casing.

Manually operable means may be provided to prevent latching at any rotational speed of the reel.

In another aspect the present invention provides a reeling device including a reel for holding, paying out and winding in a linearly extendable, flexible member, means for biasing said reel in a direction of rotation for winding in said member and means to limit the maximum rotational speed of the reel. That means preferably comprises brake means adapted to be brought into operation as a result of centrifugal force.

Specific constructions of reeling devices and associated latching mechanisms will now be described with the aid of the accompanying drawings in which:—

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of part of a first reeling device,

FIG. 2 is a cross-section on line A-A in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of part of a second reeling device,

FIG. 4 is a cross-section through the second reeling device,

FIG. 5 is a cross-section through a third reeling device,

FIG. 6 is a side view of part of the third reeling device,

FIG. 7 is another side view of part of the third reeling device,

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of part of the third reeling device,

FIG. 9 is a cross-section of an alternative,

FIG. 10 is a side view of part of the third reeling device,

FIG. 11 is a cross-section on line A-A in FIG. 10,

FIG. 12 is another cross-section of the part shown in FIG. 10,

FIG. 13 is a cross-section on line B-B in FIG. 12, and

FIG. 14 is a side view of an alternative.

The reeling device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises an outer casing 1 which supports a shaft 2 on which a reel 3 for hose or the like is mounted for rotation. A spring (not shown) is attached to the shaft 2 and reel 3 for biasing the reel to rotate in a recoil direction indicated by arrow 4. An end 6 of the shaft 2 is flattened to enable it to be rotated to tension the spring.

A latching mechanism for the reel 3 comprises a projection 21 which extends from the casing 1 and a carrier 22 which is secured to the reel 3 and which carries two members 23 which are mounted to pivot on pins 24 between abutments 26 and 27. The members 23 carry projections 28.

When it is desired to pay out hose from the reel 3 the hose is grasped and pulled and will pay off the reel. In paying out the reel 3 turns in the opposite direction to arrow 4 and the projections 28 will be moved by the surface 29 of projections 21, which acts as a cam surface to ride over the projections 21. Gravity will also assist the projections 28 to pass over the projections 21 as is shown by the bottom one of the members 23 in FIG. 1.

To wind in hose the hose is released to allow the spring to turn the reel 3 in the direction of arrow 4 and winding in will occur. If the reel 3 rotates at a relatively fast rate the members 23 will be flung out under the influence of centrifugal force (see the lower member 23 in FIG. 1) and the projections 28 will pass over the projection 21 without engaging therewith. However, if reel 3 rotates at a relatively slow rate the members 23 will not be flung out to the same extent and instead will pass between the lip 31 on the projection 21 and the shaft 2 and as a result of abutting projection 21 the reel 3 will be prevented from winding in.

Thus, at relatively fast rates of rotation of reel 3 latching will not occur but at relatively slow rates of rotation of reel 3 latching will occur and those relatively slow rates may be had by a user holding the hose and controlling, by hand friction, its rate of winding in.

Since it may be desired that winding in without latching should occur at such relatively slow rates of rotation of reel 3 a manual means comprising a guide 41 mounted on an axially slidable pivot 42 provided with a push button 43 can be used. If the guide 41 is slid from the full line position in FIG. 2 to the dash line position in FIG. 2 by pushing on the button 43 the guide 42 will be in a position to guide the projections 28 over the projection 21 by moving the members 23 outwardly. The ability of pivot 42 to pivot is of use in paying out after latching with the button 43 depressed in that the projections 28 can cause the guide 41 to pivot so as not to restrict paying out.

The reeling device of FIGS. 3 and 4 is similar to that of FIGS. 1 and 2 and like numerals denote like parts.

In this instance, however, the carrier 22 has two tubes 51 on arms 52 pivotally mounted thereto at 53, the tubes 51 carry sliders 54 having the projections 28 and brake surfaces 56, the arms 52 are connected to a linkage 57 which is pivotally mounted at 58 through pins 59 located in slots 61 and are limited in their movement by abutments 62, and the casing 1 has a brake surface 63.

To pay out hose from the reeling device of FIGS. 3 and 4 the hose is pulled to cause the reel 3 to rotate in the opposite direction to arrow 4, the carrier 22 rotates, the projections 28 move over the surface 29 of projection 21. Gravity effects on the lower one of the tubes 51 are at least partly eliminated by the linkage 57.

To wind in hose the hose is released to allow a spring (not shown) to turn the reel 3 in the direction of arrow 4 and winding in will occur. If the reel 3 rotates at a relatively fast rate the sliders 54 will be flung out under the influence of centrifugal force, the tubes 51 will pivot about 53 and the projections 28 will clear the projection 21. However, if reel 3 rotates in excess of a predetermined speed the surfaces 56 will act on surface 63 to cause braking.

If reel 3 rotates at a relatively slow rate the sliders 54 will not be flung out to the same extent and latching can occur in which the projections 28 engage with the projection 21.

The guide 41 permit similar manual release as in respect of FIGS. 1 and 2.

The reeling device of FIGS. 5-8 and 10-13 is similar to that of FIGS. 1 and 2 and like reference numerals denote like parts. Further, the reeling device has arms 71 attached to the carrier 22 via pivots 72; the arms 71 carry rollers 73 and brake surfaces 56 and have ends 74 which bear on piston rods 76; the carrier also supports cylinders 77 in which are located springs 78 and flexible damper pistons 79 which are connected to the rods 76, a sleeve 79 is mounted to the casing 1 and rotatably supports a cam plate 81 having ramp surfaces 80 and 82, recesses 83 and apertures 84 having undercut teeth 86 on one side, a lever 87 having an undercut tooth 88 and which is pivoted to the casing 1 at 89 and a spring loaded push button 91.

The lever 87 is so biased by the spring loaded push button 91 to normally have the tooth 88 engaged in one of the apertures 84 and with the respective one of the teeth 86 to prevent the cam plate 81 rotating on the sleeve 79 but by pressing on the button 91 the tooth 88 can be disengaged from the apertures 84 and teeth 86.

To pay out hose the hose is pulled on and the reel 3 is turned in the opposite direction to arrow 4. The carrier 22 rotates and revolves the arms 71, the rollers 73 roll up the surfaces 82 and around the cam plate 81 which will not interfere with paying out of the hose.

To recoil hose the hose first pulled on then released and the reel 3 is allowed to turn rapidly and the surfaces 80 will act on the rollers 73 to cause the arms 71 to move outwardly. In this respect it should be noted that the speed of rotation of the drum needs to exceed a particular speed and the slope of the surfaces 80 and the tension of springs 78 need to be such that the rollers 73 will pass over and not enter recesses 83. However, at a lower speed of rotation the rollers 73 will enter the recesses 83 to give latching. Thus, user control over the speed of rotation of the reel 3 provides, as selected, recoil or latching against recoil. If however recoil occurs in excess of a predetermined speed the arms 71 will move so much under the influence of centrifugal force that the surface 56 will contact the surface 63 to create a braking effect.

Alternatively, by pushing on the button 91 the can plate 81 is freed to rotate on the sleeve 79 and recoil cam occur irrespective of whether the rollers 73 are or are not located in the recesses 83.

The pistons 79 will serve to exert a damping effect on movement of the arms 71.

The alternative of FIG. 9 merely uses a solid piston 95 and the alternative of FIG. 14 is merely a slightly different configuration of parts. 

1. A reeling device including a reel for holding, paying out and winding in a linearly extendable flexible member, means for biasing said reel in a direction of rotation for winding in said member and a latching mechanism adapted to prevent winding in of said member; the latching mechanism including a member rotatable with the reel and movable under centrifugal force between a non-latching and latching position in consequence of the rate of rotation of the reel exceeding a predetermined magnitude.
 2. A reeling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the latching mechanism includes said member which is attached to the reel to rotate therewith and an abutment attached to a frame, casing or other object which remains stationary as the reel rotates.
 3. A reeling device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said member is an elongate body and is pivotally attached to the reel to rotate therewith-adjacent one end of said elongate body and wherein said elongate body is mounted to be relatively radially inward for winding in when the rate of rotation is less than said predetermined magnitude and relatively radially outward for winding in when the rate of rotation is greater than said predetermined magnitude.
 4. A reeling device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said one end is trailing when the reel is rotating in the winding in direction.
 5. A reeling device as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein said member includes a projection for abutting against the abutment.
 6. A reeling device as claimed in claim 5 wherein the projection, when said elongate body is relatively radially inward as aforesaid, describes a circle of rotation which intersects with said abutment and wherein, when said elongate body is relatively radially outward as aforesaid, describes a circle of rotation which does not interset with said abutment.
 7. A reeling device as claimed in any preceding claim, including manually operable means to prevent latching at any rotational speed of the reel.
 8. A reeling device as claimed in claim 7, and claim 5 wherein said means includes a guide for guiding the projection away from coming into abutting relation with the abutment.
 9. In another aspect the present invention provides a reeling device including a reel for holding, paying out and winding in a linearly extendable, flexible member, means for biasing said reel in a direction of rotation for winding in said member and means to limit the maximum rotational speed of the reel.
 10. A reeling device in accordance with claim 9 and any one of claims 1-8.
 11. A reeling device as claimed in claim 10, wherein said member is mounted on a carrier which is secured to the reel.
 12. A reeling device as claimed in claim 10, wherein said, member additionally has first friction surfaces and, other stationary second friction surfaces are provided and the construction is such that said member will move under winding in conditions in excess of a predetermined rate to bring the first and second friction surfaces into contact to slow rotation of the reel.
 13. A reeling device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said member is biased towards the latching position.
 14. A reeling device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to anyone of the accompanying drawings.
 15. The articles, things, parts, elements, steps, features methods, processes, compounds and compositions referred to or indicated in the specification and/or claims of the application individually or collectively, and any and all combinations of any two or more of such. 